Bradford Council considers installing double red lines on roads

Anti-social parking "plagues communities" in Bradford, a council meeting heard

A West Yorkshire council is considering creating double red lines on some streets to tackle anti-social parking.

Under plans from Bradford Council on-the-spot fines could be issued to anyone parking in a double red line area.

The authority's current policy allows drivers to park on double yellow lines for five minutes before they are fined.

Councillor Luke Majkowski described anti-social parking as "a growing concern that plagues our communities".

Mr Majkowski, an independent, said dangerous parking outside schools in his Queensbury ward could "endanger lives", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said: "Allowing five minutes of parking on double yellow lines is not enough, especially in areas surrounding schools."

Mr Majkowski called on the Labour-run authority to scrap the grace period and suggested installing "red routes" - similar to ones outside Leeds Bradford Airport - in problem parking areas.

'Massive issue'

The Conservative leader on the council, Rebecca Poulsen, described the five-minute grace period as "an absolute pain".

Meanwhile, Bradford Liberal Democrat leader Brendan Stubbs added that problem parking was a "massive issue for residents across the district".

He suggested the cash-strapped council focused more on raising revenue from ticketing illegally-parked cars, rather than through introducing or raising parking charges at council-run car parks.

On the subject of red routes, the council's executive for regeneration, transport and planning councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said they "can be complicated, as the system requires 24/7 CCTV coverage".

"But we are considering them on major transport schemes in the future," he added.

He admitted the council's financial position did limit what could be done to enforce parking on streets across the district.

Mr Ross-Shaw added: "With the resources it takes to enforce, we can't have wardens outside every school, every day.

"Schools and parents need to have a role to play too."